Sunday, July 05, 2009

I've Changed My Mind, Again


OK, I’ve changed my mind again. This time it’s about products from Burt’s Bees.

In the mid 1980, Burt Shcvitz was selling honey from the back of his pick-up truck. Roxanne Quimby helped him out during the summer and discovered that Burt had been saving up his wax for years. Roxanne got a book on home made products made from bees wax so she convinced Burt to join her in a venture to make candles and skin care products.

Burt was a simple guy who lived in and 8”X8” turkey coop, and from what I gathered he and Roxanne worked together for a few years and then she bought him out.

What turned me against Burt’s Bees products, was Roxanne was once interviewed and she admitted that she had no idea where her company was getting their bees wax from. Knowing what sorts of chemicals were being used in bee hives in the 90 and what awful stuff was being used in bee colonies in China at that time sent all my red flags flying.

Burt’s Bees was bought out by Clorox in 2007. I went to their website and I sent them an email asking where they got their wax from. I wanted to know if it was domestic or imported. After a week I got this reply:

"Thank you for your inquiry, our beeswax is sourced from Africa. The beeswax that we use is called "wild crafted" which means the bees are from wild and therefore pollinate in the wild. Using wild crafted beeswax there is no chance of contamination from pesticides because no pesticides are used in the wild forests.

We are aware of the recent news coverage about contaminated ingredients from certain parts of the world. Please be assured that we believe our products are safe and effective, and we do conduct product testing to this end. We have a Quality Control Department that sets standards for all incoming ingredients and outgoing product. We send all of our ingredients to be tested for contamination and only use those of pure premium quality. Further, our raw materials are purified to a cosmetic grade (cleaner then food grade less then pharmaceutical) and inspected lot by lot to meet specific standards. We choose sources from domestic, ecological, and fair trade organizations when available. We appreciate your concerns about this matter.

Burt's Bees remains committed to being 'seriously natural' and to you,our consumer. We will continue to provide you with safe and effective earth-friendly natural personal care products.

Thank you for your questions and your interest in our products!"

I am now convinced that Burt's Bees products are no longer evil. However I don't think they are as good as my products.

12 Comments:

Blogger a mouthy irish woman? ridiculous! said...

and one could purchase your products where? because i use "some" of burt's products but would be more inclined to send YOU my dough daddio.

are you pickin up what i'm puttin down?

how was camping?

6:49 AM  
Blogger JustRex said...

Put me down for a case of whatever you are selling. As long as it isn't okra or cabbage or something extremely nassy like that. Put it on Columbia Critters tab.

8:46 AM  
Anonymous Auntie said...

damn, you are wishy washy!

today, as a matter of fact we had your honey on cornbread, i used your lipbalm and i unearthed a treasure half container full of balm for after my bath!

3:36 PM  
Blogger richpix said...

No pesticides are used in the wild forests? Really? I guess that depends on where in Africa the bees live. They still use DDT in parts of Africa and other pesticides are used for control of other critters, such as tsetse flies. But, it's a big continent. There's no telling where their bees live and what they've been exposed to.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/U6600T/u6600T07.htm

I think I'd rather have products from Clatsop County bees.

5:27 PM  
Blogger richpix said...

By the way, that Burt must have been a tiny guy to live in an 8 inch square abode. ;-)

5:32 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

Irish, I can dig it. I'll let you know when the 2009 product like is in. And I didn't go camping this year. Hence the article. Are you skimming these posts?

Darev, she would probably pay for it. She's good like that.

Auntie, there will be more where that came from.

Rich, you should have an internet fact checking business. You are good.

5:21 AM  
Blogger a mouthy irish woman? ridiculous! said...

yes. i did skim. crap.

10:27 AM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

So here I was thinking you were a reader, ad it turns out you are a skimmer. So sad...so sad.

3:47 PM  
Anonymous dalia said...

never DID like burt's bees. their lipblams do nothing but make my lips chap more.

i'll stick to blistex.

horrible, horrible blistex.

but it works!

9:23 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

Dalia, I'll send you some of mine when I make the next batch.

5:45 AM  
Blogger dalia said...

oh, i bet you say that to all the ladies! *blush*

btw i haven't made any chipless cookies in a month of sundays, but every time i THINK about making them i think of you . :-)

7:54 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

Dalia, Oh Baby!

10:23 PM  

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